Godly Folly
by JustHappenedToBeHere
Summary: The old god's soul resides in a formidable body. Be it dragon, human, or...something else entirely. Hawke's boat is shipwrecked and they are ambushed by darkspawn. They are losing hope. Out of the blue comes a mysterious masked figure riding a black horse.
1. Meeting the Uncouth

***Mention of guy on guy relations***

Meeting the uncouth

The gentle fall of the snow had turned near blizzard-like, this made the cloaked figure heave a sigh. It hunched over on the back of a midnight horse with eyes that burned red like hot coals in the hearth. An armored hand reached out and lazily stroked the dark horse's mane absently. The black horse did not mind and actually, quite enjoyed it. His red eyes perked up a tad as they continued forward. The cloaked figure's head suddenly jerked upwards, it heard it. Although subtle, the tell-tale noise of steel against steel echoed out into the blinding white.

"Shadowmere, wanna get into some trouble?" a smooth, almost captivating tone emanated from the many fur wrappings.

As if to agree the horse snorted, and it turned and sprinted in the direction of the distant fight. The figure bent down to increase speed as they rocketed into the snow. After mere seconds the fight was visible, there were six-no seven counting the fallen one surrounded by-

well, just what in the gods were those things? They were like draugr but more, _messy._ it was like rotting flesh was living on their faces. The armor, if you could even call it that, was made so sloppily, any orc would cry at the thought of donning were so badly outnumbered, about 10:1, each person was wounded somehow. Their blood was easy to see on the pristine snow, like small crimson stains of flowers on fluffy fields of white cotton. They had taken down many already but it was obvious that if I didn't step in they would all be dead.

"By the maker, Where are they even coming from?!" a...nord? Honestly I don't know what race they were, shouted out moments before getting shot with an arrow in the shoulder. He yelped and misfired a light purple spell into the white storm. He clutched his wound and fell to his knees.

"Anders!" one of them called out, this one was kind of attractive. His armor looked expensive. I don't want to be the one who plucks it from his corpse. I yanked out my handy daedric bow and fired a shot through one of the beasts heads, I went into rapid fire as one by one the twenty beasts fell. I pulled out the closest bashing weapon I had, it just so happened to be a dragon bone battle axe. I hopped down from shadowmere, and swung the axe through the chest and back of two of the nearest. They crumpled into heaps of rotting refuse, black blood coated the edge of the blade. It smelled of poison or rot, best not to let it touch me.

By now the crowd's attention had shifted to me as one by one I ripped apart the disgusting mass. Peryite would love this rabble, or Namira. Really they would both love it.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw an elven mage use a staff interestingly against three of the creatures. She treated it like a spear, but far more close combat than one would think. It was bloody dangerous, but it looked like a lot of fun. Maybe I could bribe her into teaching me…

One of the wretched beasts flanked my left, I didn't have enough time to swing the axe. I let out a spew of ravenous flames and angry lightning into the body of the vile thing whilst dropping the axe into the snow. I unsheathed the mace of Molang Bal and Dawnbreaker and went to town. Hacking and slashing, ripping apart flesh and crushing bone, the squalid mass was thinning.

The fight lasted for a few more minutes; the last one had been killed by the attractive one in the great armor.

I picked my axe up and sheathed all weapons, the welcome wieght gave me comfort. I kept my distance from the group, they were bewildered, bleeding and broken. It was clear they needed help.

"You- you in the animal skin," He stopped to breathe in a ragged breath, "You gonna finish us off? Isn't that why you interviened? Aren't you gonna try and fight us?" the attractive one said. His beautiful face had a large cut across his right cheek.

"Is it so hard to believe that someone actually wants to help you, foreigner?" I replied from across the expanse of cold snow."Your people are wounded, you're about to pass out, and i've been wandering around for two hours in this blasted cold looking for an ice wraith. Helping a group of injured people seems a more pertinent task."

The 'commander' as i've now dubbed him, nodded after a moments decision. I knelt down next to the one they had been surrounding. It was a short man with nordic blonde hair, he had a nasty gash in his back, he appeared to be poisoned. The slash in his back festered and a black substance traveled through his viens.

The commander spoke again,

"I'm afraid we can't help him, normal healing will close the wound but the taint… its in his system." he said with a heavy head as the healing magic sprung from my hands. I knitted together flesh and maimed muscle, and finally extracting the foul poison from the affected area. I still was missing some skill in the restoration field, but on numerous accounts I had to extract poison from myself with this crude method. It worked of course. I froze the discarded poison and tossed it to the side. I took off a layer of furs and wrapped the man gently, he would still be unconscious for a while.

"How in the name of the maker…" the commander trailed off looking bewildered.

"What, never seen magic? What rock have you been living under." I said as I stood and stepped over to the blond mage, Anders if I remember correctly. The only one that spoke was the commander the rest of the group was still silent, but it seemed even more so after I'd healed the short one.

Anders had long since passed out, by the looks of it he was a mage as well. The arrow injury didn't take long to heal. I stripped another layer of furs and wrapped it around him as well. I went around to every person healing the obvious strains of battle until each man and female were in top shape.

I whistled for shadowmere. He came running across the battlefield, the blood of the fallen stuck to his legs, each step left a dark crescent in the snow. Shadowmere slowed to a small gallop and wandered around the group, he did this with new people that would accompany her, it was like a brother sizing up a sisters courter. He whinnied quietly as if to state he was finished. I hefted up the short one and placed anders on my shoulder, mindful of where the injuries had been (newly restored flesh and bone are tender and easily breakable). I lifted them up onto the midnight horse and settled them in a comfortable position.

This… was odd. They did not make a single move to help me carry the unconscious; note that I did not need help, having a large frame grants me more freedom to build muscle. I spun to look at them. Now that I think about it, none of them are dressed for Skyrim weather. There were three women, all accept one dressed in simple thin cloth robes. An elf, nord, and a...redguard? Maybe a cross between imperial and redguard but, she was _very _beautiful, and her attire suggested that she's an avid follower of Dibella. The elf was most likely a wood elf, she was something small and thin. Her eyes were so beautiful, like an entire forest crawled into her skull and crystallized into shining gems. The third was more practical, she was obviously nordic with that fiery red hair. She wore strange steel armor with orange breaks of cloth. She looked to be hardy and able. The men were different. The commander, a godly elf, a small nord, and the tall nord. The commander had eyes of emerald and impossibly deep red (almost purple!) hair in a simple braid that trailed the back of his head, he was so handsome he could almost be a girl. The strange elf was just as attractive but more.. exotic! Oh his platinum tattoos made him look so beautiful, he looked to be from an imperial painting. His eyes looked like cascades of silver. After some thought the two of them entangled in dark sheets would look just divine, hmmmm another time. The short nord had lots of chest hair, not uncommon, and a square jaw. The Anders man was handsome to boot as well.

"Just who are you people?" I asked as I fiddled with the straps on the staddle to make sure the two prone bodies wouldn't slip. I got no answer.

"Did you just cure the taint?" the redhead asked.

"Is that whats in those disgusting creatures? Well then yes. Its a complex poison base with the advantage of blood, can't be cured with potions if by blood, but by hand you could get it out easy." I explained as I finished tightening a belt strap. I'd run into enough venomous animals and things to know this.

"But the taint… is incurable. The witch of the wastes said so herself!" The nordic woman shot back.

"What kind of magic did she specialize in?" I asked turning to the group.

"Shapeshifting." The commander spoke up. "She shapeshifts." He said. He looked somehow visibly shaken; those stormy emerald eyes stared me down, just about bore a hole through my face.

"Well that's an odd path to go down, did she beg to the Daedra to bless her or something?" I said mostly to myself, the companions can shape shift into werewolves, but thats about it. " She probably wasn't very skilled in the restoration field. The technique I use was birthed by my own hand, but surely there is some way to counteract poison in your land with magic?"

Just then the blizzard kicked up.

"Alright how about we save the Q&A for later? This snow is freezing my tits off!" The pretty woman spoke up. I shed my last furs and strided over to hand it to her she took it gratefully, I still had a simple dark green cape tied just above the shoulders, it covered the front and the back but not the arms.

"Thank the maker!" she exclaimed. Sadly the armor I had on was Boethiah's champion armor, I tend to keep it under wraps because it unnerves people to look at it. The cape would do to keep such intimidations at bay.

"Its best we listen to her, come we are not so far from Dawnstar." I said as I Started to walk due east. Shadowmere followed immediately in my heels, the woman I had handed the furs to waved to the others and joined the parade, the wood elf followed the first immediately, the redhead looked at the commander and went along. Finally the commander and the silvery elf looked at each other and got up to speed with the others. Shadowmere snorted, sounding almost like a giggle. I pet his nose roughly.

"Oh hush." I said underneath my breath.

oo00oo

This man just did the impossible right in front of our eyes. He cured the taint in a matter of seconds. Seconds! The man was a mage, warrior,and rogue; an impossible combination. It's too much for one person to know a single skill set but three?! Three entirely different styles of fighting used in the same battle. This man was armed to the teeth, daggers, swords, axes, warhammers, maces, bows, staves, he had literally every weapon type at his disposal. I know these kinds of people. I should. Hawke is one of them, they don't just do something like this without purpose. His armor was just as strange as his concept. From what little he had showing it was made of some kind of black metal, and intricate as hell. But one of the most unsettling things was his mask. It didn't have eye slits or breathing holes, and it seemed to emanate a red aura, where it ended a dark cloth erupted, it fell to his shoulders like smooth hair.

"Dawnstar is about an hour away." he called over the howling of the blizzard.

Merrill and Isabela shared the furs he had given them. The massive white fur circled them both and no doubt sheltered them from the harsh cold. I looked at Hawke. He was obviously trying to come to terms with what just happened, Bethany was written all over his face. Fenris stuck close behind him, probably thinking the same as I.

"So what do you think?" I overheard Isabela whisper.

"About what?" Merrill whispered back.

"Man or Woman?" Isabela giggled silently.

"Obviously man. Hes too tall and strong for a woman." Merrill shot back in a hushed tone.

"Women can be tall and strong, look at me!" Isabela pouted. "I think woman, she has the air and voice of one."

"You must be deaf! No woman I've ever met has a voice like that! Its too...soft" Merrill replied.

The two began to bicker in in hushed tones. Somehow it lightened the mood, I found myself with a straighter back and more resolve than I should. Thoughts of Westly and Donnic surfaced. If this person had been there...No. I can't think about this. A cursory glance in Hawke's direction supported my decision. He was standing tall not an ounce of regret on his face. We need to think about the now. And especially-

"We have arrived, Welcome to Heljarchen Hall." The masked figure announced.

I hadn't even noticed we'd come across a village. The house itself was huge, two small gardens flanked the first smaller building, a pile of lumber sat idly away from the house. The man hefted up the two unconscious bodies from the horse; a man carrying fresh lumber appeared from the side of the house.

"Thane! Welcome back! I see we have guests, would you like me to prepare some rooms?" The man happily exclaimed from where he was. He wore warm-looking steel armor, he had a large mustache and practically no hair on his head.

"Yes Gregor that would be lovely." 'Thane' said. 'Thane' is a strange name, I wonder what kind of land this is. Gregor opened the doors for Thane and she disappeared inside with Varric and Anders. Isabela practically pulled Merrill inside. Yelling something about the cold.

Something felt off. We were obviously Fereldans, generally we were regarded like the plague where ever we went. But here, there was no sense of bigotry towards us. Hawke and Fenris stepped inside, I could feel the welcoming heat rolling out to greet me like mother calling to a child. Every second thought got thrown out the window as I stepped into the house.


	2. Trading Fables

Trading Fables

The house's inside was far more impressive than the outside. Inside furs of nearly every animal and food of nearly every variety littered the interior, the warmth of the place was supplied by the grand fireplace imbedded on a large pillar in the very center of the house. The walls had plaque upon plaque of strange looking weapons and shields. Green banners hung from the second floor railing, this place was like a palace. The man brought the two bodies to one of the doors and kicked it open, he vanished into the room only to emerge minutes later. Isabela and Merrill had shed the animal skin and they took it upon themselves to explore the main room ogling at this or that.

"There are rooms on the right and left of you, your friends are in that one there," he pointed to the now closed door that he had gone in moments earlier,"If you need anything Gregor can help you, I will be in my quarters if you need of me." with that he disappeared upstairs, my eyes followed him as he escaped to his room and shut the door.

Gregor stood ready by the fireplace, watching us all with hidden diligence.

I was tired, just very tired. I… just need some sleep.

"Thank you for looking after us ser Gregor." I told him, "Sorry to be a burden but where is a bedroom? I...would like to rest."

Gregor smiled,

"A friend of my Thane is a friend of mine. No need to take honorifics to my name. Right there." he pointed to a closed door. I said a quick thanks and headed in said direction. I opened the door and was greeted with a pleasant surprise. There was a king sized bed, big enough to hold many. I looked around, there was a large window, pale wintry light flooded in. The room was littered with intriguing trinkets. Necklaces, crowns, circlets, just so many things. There was a simple dresser and an end table, upon the end table sat a small platter filled with some kind of treat. A few books sat of the dresser, I was interested but my tiredness overcame my curiosity. Fenris came in and shut the door.

"He is an apostate." he said, "but he cured the taint." fenris looked just as tired as I was.

"Where are we, Hawke? Why were darkspawn waiting for us to crash?" fenris questioned me, but he knew full well what I'd say.

" I don't know. For now we have to rely on him. If he lives in a place like this, he's bound to be important. Friends in high places could help in a land we don't know anything about." I answered, sleep was clawing at my head, "Right now, we are safe, so I am going to sleep, I suggest you join me." I said as I stripped the pieces of my armor away until I was left in my leggings. I gingerly walked over to the bed and through back the covers. Getting in the bed made my very bones heavy as lead.

"You coming or what?" I asked him. He sighed and carefully took piece after piece of armor off. He crawled in next to me and I wrapped an arm around his neck.

"We need to get you some shoes." I mumbled. I felt him smirk against my bare chest as I shut my eyes.

oo00oo

Sitting down in the desk situated at the end of the room, I slowly unlaced my ebony gauntlets. I placed them on the desk and pulled off the ebony boots of the ox, placing them to the side. Standing up I untied the cape and let it fall to the ground. Now the hard part begins. I remember when i first put on this _lovely_ piece of armor, it latched onto me like a living being, grabbing and pulling, it molded to my skin like a fitted glove. I tugged at the ebony mail in certain parts, letting the blasted thing know I wanted it off. Bit by bit it loosened its grip. Gently I tugged it off and folded it nicely, I placed the armor on the desk. A strange sigh was heard from the folded blackness. I swear that armor is sentient. Now in my small clothes free of my weapons and armor I felt so light. I walked over to my dresser and pulled a warm dress from its confines. I slipped it over my head and it settled around my body. I went to work adjusting the fittings, tightening the belted bustier, clasping the back. I stepped over to the shelf and picked some normal boots. After I finished buckling the shoes on my feet I heard a small knock at the door. I was about to speak when my hand flew to my hair. Volsung. Shit. I had volsung on the entire time, they probably don't even know what gender I am. I gingerly took it off and tossed it on the bed. Quickly I grabbed a black head scarf from my bedside table and wrapped it about my head.

"come in." I said.

The wood elf came in, those forest eyes widened in surprise.

oo00oo

Merrill and Isabela poked about the huge mansion-like house. There was riches and weapons and odd things like no one has ever seen before just lying about the house.

"You could catch a hundred septims on this single necklace right here! Gosh he must be so rich!" Isabela cooed in amazement.

"Well this is pretty." Merrill stated looking at the armor on the mannequin. The ancient glass armor sat so daintily there.

"It looks too gaudy, I like that one," Aveline pointed to a set of dragonbone armor."subtle but intimidating."

"Both of you can push off, This one is tight, not too revealing, and sexy!" Isabela said pointing at ancient dark brotherhood armor.

"You don't know the meaning of 'not too revealing', Isabela." Aveline bit. Merrill snorted.

"Well sure I do Aveline! Its the clothes i'm wearing now. These are not too revealing. You should see my night wear." Isabela stated matter of factly.

"Since when do you have nightwear?" Aveline asked.

"Exactly." Isabela said.

Merrill started laughing full out then.

"Sorry-heh-sorry," she caught her breath, "couldn't help myself."

Something had been bothering Aveline, all the armor was fitted for women. The man that saved us had a male name, and voice. Maybe he's a collector.

"Well I wanna know about our knight in furry pelts. Why don't we go seduce her slash him?" Isabela said walking out of the armory.

"Oh, for the last time, Its a man! You could just tell." Merrill spoke.

"I am going to agree with Merrill here, That was a man." Aveline followed.

"Why don't we make a bet, hmm? How about… five septims." Isabela asked, stopping to look at them when they were right outside the door.

"OOh, you are on." Aveline challenged.

"I don't see why not? Ten septims." Merrill said. Merrill and Aveline shook hand with Isabela. Isabela smiled.

"Now, who will knock on the door?" Isabela said. "Merrill, you do it."

"What? Why?" Merrill questioned.

"Because, sweetheart, we don't have a problem with knocking on doors. Come out of your shell a bit, you never know." She trailed off. Merrill sighed. She knew that Isabela cared about her, and was only trying to help her.

"Don't make her do it if she doesn't want to." Aveline spoke up.

"No, I'll do it. And then you'll owe Aveline and I five septims each." Merrill straightened her back. Isabela smiled and clapped her hands together.

"Go on now" she said encouragingly.

Merrill felt a knot form in her stomach. She stepped up to the door and knocked gingerly on it.

A rustling noise came from the other side of the door. Then a voice erupted.

"Come in."

It was that smooth voice from earlier. She opened the door and stepped in the lavish room. She was met with an astonishing sight. There stood a woman in a white and dark red dress with a fur lining on the collar. A black head scarf covered her head and face loosely. She had curves in all the right places from what she could see.

"Oh hello, did you happen to see a man around here? About your height and build...oh" Merrill came to the realize their savior was a woman after all.

"Yes! You both owe me five septims!" Isabela shouted.

"Damn." Aveline said as she dug a hand into her coin purse and shelled out five septims, merrill reluctantly did the same. Isabella, instead of taking the gold took Merrill's hand and closed it around the gold. Merrill blushed. She was always so kind to her when she didn't deserve it.

"So you bet on what gender I was?" The woman asked. Just hearing the voice come out of that figure made it all the more feminine.

"Well, its happened before, I don't blame you. Ah, sorry, my name is MaEve." MaEve said.

"Ah, well, this one is Merrill, and the woman sized battering ram over there is Aveline. I am Captain Isabela, well more like was but still Isabela." She introduced.

"I am not a battering ram." Aveline called out.

"Ooh, yes you are." Isabela retorted.

"You are a funny lot, I knew you for a sailor the moment I saw you Isabela. You seafolk have your airs. Please, let us go to the sitting area downstairs so that we may talk more comfortably." MaEve finished. She walked towards the door and Isabela moved out of the way to let her pass. They followed her down the steps and Isabela just could not take her eyes off of that swelling behind. She had a beautiful body alright. Isabela wanted to see what she looked like, all of her.

The group sat down at the table, all the foodstuffs looked so appetizing.

"Please if you are hungry eat. I've got more than enough food." MaEve welcomed them. Isabela didn't hesitate to uncork what she assumed was alcohol and down it.

"This, is way better than the hanged man's stuff." Isabela glorified.

"Its called Nord Mead." MaEve explained."That reminds me, Merrill, what race of elf are you? I've seen tons of elves and none of them look like you or your friend. Are you a descendent of a wood elf?"

Merrill cocked her head.

"Races… of elves?There is only one race where I come from. Either you are or you aren't. I am a Dalish elf, we try and keep our distance from humans and such, Hawke let me tag along a while ago. Haven't left his side yet."

"Hu-mans? Is that some kind of beast?" MaEve questioned.

"You're joking." Aveline, who had just picked up a cooked rabbit haunch, deadpanned.

"No." MaEve folded her hands together."I have never heard of such a thing."

"Well, I'm a human, she's a human, the tall one in there is a human, and Hawke as well." Isabela scratched the back of her head.

"What of the short one?" MaEve questioned.

"He's a dwarf, you know. The short people who build massive underground cities and such." Aveline took a bite of the haunch, savoring its flavor.

"Like, a Dwenmer? Nonsense, those all died centuries ago. Killed off by the Daedric Princes."

"Dwen-what? Daedric Princes?" Isabella asked.

"You, don't know about Dwenmers? Or Daedric princes? If thats true you don't know who the Divines are either. Or the races." MaEve thought.

"I could show you."

"Show us what?" Merrill asked taking a bite of bread.

"Skyrim. This place is called Skyrim. It nests on the continent of Tamriel." MaEve stood and walked to a bookshelf, she grabbed certain books then came back to the table. Opening one she flipped to a picture of a cat-like person.

"This is a Khajiit."

oo00oo

Hawke opened his eyes. His cheek stung. Fenris's breathed slowly, Hawke couldn't keep his eyes away from the steady rise and fall of his chest. For a few minutes he stared at Fenris, until he heard a giggle. _What in the name of the maker was that?_ Hawke carefully pushed Fenris on his side, he swung his feet off the side of the bed. There it was again, that weird giggle. Hawke walked to the door and put his ear to it, he heard very silent footsteps.

"_hmmhame…...listener will…..hehe….night mother knows….hehemamhe." _

Someone was definitely out there, and he was crazy as a fox in a heatstroke. I heard footsteps upstairs, he going for the guy that saved us! I looked for my blade and armor but found it missing, as well as fenris's things. I knew this seemed suspicious! I opened the door a crack, from this angle I could only see his feet. He was crouched and sneaking faster and faster. As soon as he disappeared I opened the door further and snuck out. His door opened and he went inside. I stood and grabbed a dagger from a plaque, I was ready to fight if he needed more than just the one man.

"Listener! Oh, oh, oh, good news!"

Instead of screams came a joyful banter.

"Cicero, I have company keep your voice down." The man's voice sounded tired, he was just woken up.

"We got a contract! OOOOh ho ho and its a fun one! Its the captain of the Markarth guard! So when can we go out hmm? Now? Ok lets go now!"

"Cicero, calm down. We will do it in three days time, I have...Special guests."

"Oh pooo you're such a spoil sport sometimes, Listener!"

"How about we wait for them to wake up and I'll introduce you to them? They're seasoned warriors. They've killed lots of people."

"Hmm, sounds a decent way to pass the time, can I kill one?"

"No, you may not, Cicero. they are valued guests. One of them is a Dwenmer."

"Oh oh oh? A Dwenmer? You mean the fellows that built the ruins? But they've all died! They ignored the night mothers call."

"Apparently they've never heard about and Divines or princes. They believe in a figure called the maker…Its quite odd."

"hmmm, then maybe I will stick around. Just for fun! Hehehaohhommmmm."

"Cicero I'm going back to sleep for a few hours."

"Can ciero join? Hmmhemmm? I haven't slept for days!"

"Man what did I tell you. You need to sleep or you start hallucinating. Remember Kagrenzel? I can show you the scar again if you wish."

*deep inhale* "no no! Cicero does not want to think of hurting the listener again. I will sleep just as the listener commands."

"Good."

My brain was trying to register what just happened. Instead I put the dagger back on its place on the wall, walked into our room, crawled under the covers and went back to sleep.


	3. Progressive Running

Progressive Running

The table was set with enough food for all of Kirwall. Each and every inch was covered with some sort of food or dish of some sort. From roasted meats to freshly grilled vegetables; Anders took notice of the abundant pastries laced throughout the food. The simple smell of such a thing made Anders' mouth water. His stomach growled with such intensity, that he thought it might leap out of his throat and ravage the splendor in front of him.

"You can eat you know. Your friends are not up yet but you are certainly welcome to start." A gruff foreign voice rang out from the back of the house. It made Anders jump a bit. He looked towards where the voice came from, a man in steel finely cut armor stirred a pot filled with some sort of stew.

"Are you the one that did all this?" Anders asked, somewhat in awe. The man scoffed.

"Hah! If only, i've not the imagination or skill to create many of these dishes. My Thane truly is an amazing individual."

"So this… Thane of yours, was he the one that saved us from the darkspawn ambush?" Anders asked relaxing just a tad.

"Yes, well, most likely. _She,_ carried you and the short one all the way back with your friends in tow. I've not a clue what happened out there, that's something you'll have to take up with her after she comes downstairs." The man chuckled a bit. Anders gawked.

"That was a woman? But his voice was so deep!"

"Yes my Thane is very strong. The women of Skyrim can pull their own weight and then some unlike most cultures; but she is the strongest I've ever met. While out on a run with her we were ambushed by bandits, she was shot full of arrows and I nearly lost my left leg. I was knocked unconscious, when I awoke I was completely healed and she was sitting by the bedside taking out the arrows without so much as a gasp. She carried me, through a blizzard, five miles to the nearest Inn. She was shot ten times. Ten times! She's one amazing woman I tell you." His voice was full of respect.

"I know two people like that, one of my friends, Hawke, would do anything for us. He's very kind and somewhat stubborn if you ask me. I had a friend, she was very polite to everyone, she didn't see barriers like the rest of us, she treated everyone like long lost siblings. She was very strong and she stuck her neck out for me more times than I could count. But, she disappeared a long time ago." Anders trailed off. No one had even seen her leave the keep, she was just gone, and with her went the friendly order she brought about.

"So are you and this Thane married?" Anders asked in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"No, although I've worn the amulet of Mara many times around her she never asks! I ask but she shoots me down. I've never seen her do anything remotely romantic with anyone, I was sure she was untaken." The man remarked.

"The amulet of Mara? What is that, like an 'I'm single' sign?" Anders asked.

"She did tell me you people do not know of our worship; Mara is the goddess of love and compassion. The amulet is a sign that you are ready to be married. If someone asks about it you can either ask them or let them ask you." He explained he stopped stirring the pot and turned to Anders.

"You, do not believe in the maker?" Anders asked. If a templar was around they'd shriek 'heathen!' and draw their swords he thought.

"We believe in many deities, there are several books on them over there." He said while pointing to a shelf on a nearby bookcase.

"Thank you, ah-sorry I did not catch your name."

"Names' Gregor. I am the housecarl to MaEve, the Thane of every major city in Skyrim."

oo00oo

"Ciero can't wait to meet the ruffians!" Cicero squealed. He kicked his feet up and swung them in the air. He was belly down on my bed with his head propped up on his hands. He was in a simple night shirt, his jester suit folded neatly in a chair near the bed.

"Please in the name of Sithis mind your manners around them. They are foreigners, so if they say something unknowingly bad about me or the Night Mother or Sithis, do not hurt them. If one of them ends up dead I won't speak to you for a whole week." I said as I rummaged through the chest of drawers for non intimidating clothes. All of the things I have accumulated are for battle, not much of them are house clothes.

"No! No no nononono, Listener! I promise! I promise by my pinkie finger! I give my _undying_ word! None of the newfolk will die by my hand. Cicero swears." He gasped and slammed his hands and legs down to maximize the dramatication.

"Good. Don't ever change Cicero. I like you just the way you are." I stated still searching for the right thing. It has to be a dress. Girls in dresses aren't as daunting as girls in cursed daedric armor.

"And Cicero _looooooves _the Listener! Cicero loves the way she kills! Like a deadly majestic swan." He rolled onto his back and spread his arms in the air. I smirked, he was always such great company. The only downside was that he had a tendency to murder when I wasn't looking.

"Found it!" I exclaimed as I ripped the dark green dress out of the confines of the chest. It was plain and nonviolent. I purchased it to hide in a crowd during an assassination. It did miracles, but because of it I can't enter solitude with it on. I slipped it over my shoulders and adjusted the waist fittings to accommodate my size.

"Aww listener! You should wear armor, or something bloodstained and foul! Dull and dreary doesn't fit you. You should wear grandiose armor with darkness and flesh and blood and oooooh," He remarked rolling about on the bed. "the possibilities are just endless! But you? Oooooherm you just choose to wear a simple drab _dress_ of all things!" I could hear him pout.

"I had a dream, more a vision last night Cicero. Something big is coming. And those people down there are the harbingers. If I scare them off now how will I ever be prepared for what lies ahead of me?" I grabbed the head scarf from last night from off the floor and hid my face once more.

"Cicero get dressed. You don't want to meet them in your night clothes do you?" I ordered. He giggled and hopped off the bed. I sat down at my desk and waited for him to finish getting ready. Absent-mindedly I doodled the images from the vision. It evolved from a simple doodle to a parchment full of strange things.

_A diseased dragon._

_An injured bird._

_A trapped griffon._

_And a demonesque warrior with scars twinkling like stars standing over a pile of corpses._

oo00oo

Fenris awoke with a start. His only supply of heat had disappeared, but the sheets where he used to lay were still warm. He heard chattering from the next room, he detected the voice of many of the group talking although he could not tell what of. Fenris stumbled out of bed rather ungracefully. He saw his armor folded and...polished? Who would? Fenris decided to not dwell on it. Suddenly from the other room he heard the voice of the male apostate who had helped us the other day. Fenris knew what all mages do. He knew what apostates are capable of. He would have to be wary. If this mage was not in the circle he was certainly strong enough to evade capture.

Fenris buckled the last leather strap on his attire. For once his armor did not smell musty, it had a strange, almost flowery, scent to it. Someone had perfumed his damn armor. He left his room nearly livid.

"The sleeping beauty awakes! And here we were just thinking of going to wake you." Isabela cheered lazily from the right of the table.

"If you dared I would have cut off your fingers." He bit coldly.

"Ooo someone's a bit feisty in the mornings." She laughed back. The table was filled with his group. The only available seat was one near Hawke and and a woman in a dark green dress. Her face was hidden beneath a black cloth wrapped around her head. Fenris looked around the table, scoping out who was here and who wasn't. All of his group was there including a friendly looking man in steel armor. The woman had another man by her side, he had deep crimson hair and he was dressed as a jester. He was also… looking straight at him? This unnerved Fenris. He didn't say or do anything but stare at him with those crazy eyes. He had such a strange grin thrown on his face, he had his head propped up on his hands.

"Can I help you?" Fenris asked hoping secretly that he would say nothing.

"Cicero, finds your eyes pretty. Like shiny new daggers! Or the pale of a dead corpses' sweat!I would looove to have them..." This man giggled like a child. Isabela said something like 'I know right?' and they carried on in random conversation. The whole table was conversing, so Fenris had to wonder if he heard right.

"Cicero remember the deal." The woman spoke, but the voice was the same as the male apostate from earlier. The man "You slept well I take it?"

"...Yes, thank you. Do you...happen to have a brother? Or a father?" Fenris was confused. There is no way a woman could stand that tall and carry two full grown men like kittens.

"I'm afraid that I am the one that saved you yesterday, I am a woman. Do women not fight in your country?" She cocked her head, a little of the scarf shifted and I saw just a bit of pale skin underneath.

"Well they do but, I've never seen one as tall or strong as you. We have Aveline, she has a large build; but you are about the build of a Quinari, dare I say larger."

"Are you calling me fat?"

"No no, I just; the only time I've seen a woman with that amount of strength was with the exception that she was a Quinari, not even human. Even so you stand an entire head taller."

"I'll take that as a compliment, although I do not know what a Quinari is. Maybe the fact that I am not human helps? My mother was an Imperial- or so I guess- and I've not the slightest clue what race my father was. You see, two season cycles ago I awoke naked in the brush of the forest on the borders of Skyrim. Bread?" She paused to hand me a fresh loaf, I accepted gratefully. "I walked right into a Stormcloak ambush. I was arrested and nearly beheaded along with Ulfric Stormcloak. The only reason I survived was because Aludin, the world eater, awoke from his slumber and wreaked havoc upon the site." Fenris was lost in all this information, He knew Quinari weren't the exact topic in the now, but for her to not know about them?

"Who is this Aludin?" Fenris found himself asking.

"He's a massive, old, black dragon that I killed three seasons ago. He was the son of Akatosh, Divine of time. See that skull? That's his." She pointed to a large skull nailed to the middle column of the house. It had large black curly horns and and an eerie feel to it. So this woman killed a dragon all by herself? It's not impossible, but most likely she's making this up. How is Fenris to believe just one person killed a dragon? They _are_ supposed to be extinct.

"Say I didn't believe you." Fenris was skeptical.

"You are welcome to accompany me to kill another if you'd like. There are still a couple I have to deal with." She answers, not the slightest bit moved. This was weird. She talked about them as if they were a regular sight.

"Now I want to question you. What are Quinari?"

oo00oo

I know I know. This ones' a tad short. Next one will be longer I promise.

With love

~Just


End file.
